When the Greek gods Zeus and Hera made love, the land burst open with blooming crocuses. Or so the legend goes.
While the crocus (Crocus sativus) is loved and appreciated as a colorful harbinger of spring, its mythic fame and power come from its vibrant saffron fronds or threads.
Prehistoric caves in Iraq are adorned with 50,000-year-old paintings made with saffron-based pigments.
Alexander the Great soaked in warm saffron baths to heal his battle wounds. In 1374 this spice even ignited a 14-week "Saffron War" over a hijacked 800-pound shipment.
Documents going back to Hippocrates reveal the use of saffron as a treatment in more than 90 illnesses over 4,000 years. During the Black Death demand for medicinal saffron skyrocketed. This exotic spice has been used for coughs, colds, stomach ailments, insomnia, uterine bleeding, scarlet fever, heart trouble, and flatulence.
Is it all just myth?
No. Modern research backs up the wisdom of the ancients. Saffron has been shown to modulate at least 22 biological pathways. Here are just a few of the proven curative benefits of saffron ... read more>>>...